Remember The Reason Why
by Rocky Oberlin
Summary: While Wufei waits for Quatre to be released from the hospital, he is again reminded of what Christmas really is.


Remember the Reason Why

Author: Rocky Oberlin

Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Wing or the quote taken from the Trans-Siberian Orchestra album "Christmas Eve and Other Stories" (inside the cover tells the story. I took the quote from there).

This is a follow up on "An Angel Came Down… Again". I think it can stand on it's own though. Have a Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah.

It was supposed to be an easy assignment. Quatre goes in, talks with the target, and gets out. Wufei just had to listen to the wire and make sure Quatre was safe. Instead his partner was shot while trying to leave and the target was arrested for more than illegal weapons trade. Wufei had told his other three roommates, but with the Christmas travel, he didn't know when they wold get to the hospital. At least Quatre wasn't hurt too bad.

Or was he?

A chill went down Wufei's spine as a nurse went into Quatre's emergency room. He had seen her many times on the battlefield taking dead souls. Was she going to take his partner away from him? Wufei slumped a little when he saw her leave again with no Quatre. He was still here for now. Wufei hoped his partner could leave so they could remember the visit from a friend last year and honor what he reminded them of. A Christmas service would be nice to listen to; may be some memories would come to light for a while.

"Would you like some coffee?"

Wufei startled up to see the nurse that had worried him. "What did you say?"

The nurse smiled. "Would you like some coffee? Or do you prefer tea? It's hospital tea, but it's still good."

"That would be nice." Wufei go up to follow the nurse from the waiting room to a near-by cafeteria. "What are you going by these days?"

"Roxanne."

The Preventor raised an eyebrow. "Trying to be remembered?"

"Not really. They just think I'm a temp hired for the holidays. I'll be gone after the New Year."

"Why are you here? Is it time for Quatre to go back?"

Roxanne shook her head. "No. It's just a coincidence."

"Then there must be someone else who requires a death angel to be here," said Wufei. "Who is it?"

Roxanne waved her hand. "No one of importance. By the time I get him, he should realize a few things."

"Like what, for instance?"

"Remembering the true meaning of Christmas," said a newcomer. Wufei looked up to see the same person who came to visit last Christmas Eve. "How are you doing Wufei?"

Wufei nodded. "I'm fine. You'll have to ask Roxanne about Quatre; he's in the emergency room right now."

"What happened?" asked the young man.

"We were on assignment and the target go edgy. He shot Quatre while he was leaving the office. Now the guy will have a lot more against him."

"And Wufei is here to make sure Quatre is doing fine," added Roxanne. "What brings you here?"

"I just came to see how Quatre and Wufei are doing. I stopped by your house and heard much swearing and slamming of doors. I assume you told your roommates about what happened?"

"Yes. Maxwell was probably the one swearing and slamming the doors. He is the most vocal of the group back there. Yui and Barton don't allow so much emotion out."

"Neither do you for that matter," said Roxanne. "I remember you being a lot more pleasant before you came down. More…" She waved her hand, trying to think of a word.

"Joyful?" asked the young man.

"That will do," said Roxanne. "You loved to sing Wufei. Now, several people say you hardly are the person you were. They say you pretty much gave up on your books."

"War… changes people," said Wufei after a moment. "It takes away your joy and tells you only it should exist."

"Yet some can leave it and go on with close to normal lives again," said Roxanne.

Wufei shook his head. "Not everyone. Some are changed for life."

"Only if you let it. You must remember who created war and why. The ones who can't forget it are the ones who need this day the most." The young man smiled. "I remember a musician in one country who told me what Christmas was all about. He said it was 'peace on earth, of course and a little "Stolichmaya".' Even in the war-torn countries if there was music of Christmas, there was hope."

A smile came to the threesome's faces at the thought of that musician. If only more people thought as that musician had.

"You know, just because you practiced war doesn't mean you can't go back," said Roxanne.

"How?" asked Wufei. "We are fallen angels. We are like humans now."

Roxanne's lips quirked a little. "Actually, you and Quatre are human. As humans you fall under the laws and the redemption any other human gets. You just remember what it's like to be angels."

This bit of news startled Wufei. Usually when angels came down, they were on missions like the unchanging you man or on permanent assignments like Roxanne. They never became human. Never.

"Why… How...?"

Roxanne ticked off on her fingers. "Don't know; you were born."

Wufei scowled at the nurse. "I kind of figured I was born, but why be human; why change us?"

The young man smiled. "Do you really think Heero Yui, Trowa Barton, or Duo Maxwell would accept you if you were more than you pretended to be?" He shook his head. "They took on other names, but you and Quatre had your names. You had pasts that they really didn't. To be an angel hiding as a human would drive a bigger wedge than what was there. You became human to help them be human and not war machines."

Wufei laughed bitterly. "Instead we became the war machines and failed to bring them back."

Roxanne shook her head. "No, you did bring them back. If it were just them, they would be dead or captured. Even if they had won the war, they would still have their war-time personalities."

Wufei gave the nurse a look. "What do you call their personalities now?"

She smiled at her friend. "Looser than they would have been."

"Duo would have been thrown in jail and killed in a fight," said the young man. "Heero would look for another war to fight, and Trowa would look for death with another mercenary group."

"What about that girl, Dorlain-Peacecraft? She has been trying to get Heero since they first met."

Roxanne looked off in the distance. "She wouldn't have made it through the war. She was saved by a couple of changes of heart and two Gundam pilots being in her country." Roxanne shook her head. "She wouldn't have made it."

"Relena is stronger than she looks," said the young man.

"Not even that can stop bullets and arrests by the occupying army. She was a threat that would be eliminated."

"So we did some good," said Wufei.

"Yes, my friend, you did some good," said the young man.

Roxanne looked at the clock and go up. "I had best go back and see what is going on. Quatre should be cleared soon, unless they want him to stay over night."

Wufei brooded in his tea as the nurse left. Soon it will be just him and Quatre again. They were getting homesick, but they had to stay here. Their friends needed them.

"Just remember the message." Wufei looked up to see his other companion still sitting with him. His quiet "What?" was responded to by, "I gave you a message last year. This year you were given a little more hope. Just remember them until you are called Home."

Wufei smiled. "I'll remember." As the angel left, Wufei called, "Thank you." The angel turned and smiled. Then he was gone.

Wufei returned to see his three roommates trying to see Quatre. He led them to Quatre's room and watched the nurse fuss over the blonde.

"How soon before he's out?" asked Duo.

The nurse glanced at the waiting group. "As soon as the doctor looks at him. He's looking at the CT scans right now."

"We'll wait right here," Heero stated as he settled against the wall with his arms crossed. Quatre smiled at his friends and gave a questioning look to Wufei. He shrugged and gave the "I'll tell you later" look. Soon the doctor came in and looked Quatre over.

"Any pain?"

"Not much."

"How much is not much on a scale of one to ten?" Quatre gave it a four. "You do know you're lucky?" asked the doctor. "That bullet could have hit a lung."

"Where did it hit?" asked Quatre.

"It went down and was lodged in your abdomen. Something slowed it though and it was more a flesh wound than a puncture."

Quatre looked at Wufei. "Must have been the wire," said Duo. He grinned at the blonde. "Trying to get out of work for a while?"

"Will he be discharged?" asked Trowa.  
"Hmm? Oh, yes. The nurse will dress the wound and give you the instructions." The doctor walked out of the room and settled to write in Quatre's chart before going to another patient.

Ten minutes later Roxanne came in with bandages and instructions. She showed them how to dress the wound and gave them Quatre's instructions. "Be sure to follow up with your doctor in a couple of days," she admonished.

Duo had a cheeky grin on his face, but Heero gave a quick glare that quieted him. "He'll be seeing the company doctor as soon as possible," said Heero.

Roxanne glanced up from the instruction sheet Quatre was signing and nodded. "That's fine. We can copy his records if you want to take them with you."

"We'll take the originals," said Heero.

"The charts stay here. They do not leave the hospital," stated Roxanne.

Wufei settled to see who would win, Heero with his Death glare or Roxanne, death's angel. Quatre looked at Wufei and smiled; his money was on Roxanne. Wufei agreed. Fifteen minutes later showed Roxanne copying the charts and Duo laughing at Heero for losing to the nurse. Trowa said something about her being on par with Catherine and Sally.

"I would say they had nothing on Roxanne," muttered Wufei. Quatre's grin agreed with him.

Later Wufei always wondered if one of their old colleagues might have saved Quatre. Roxanne didn't say when they were alone and Quatre wasn't sure himself, but they were glad to see old friends. Christmas was good that year; Wufei hoped it would be better next year though.

Trans-Siberian Orchestra "Christmas Eve and Other Stories" This was taken from just before "A Mad Russian's Christmas". The mention of music and hope came from just before "Christmas Eve/Sarajevo 12/24".


End file.
